Lace hook and clasp.



,No. 700,274. v Patented May 20, I902. Y

n. n. WILSON.

LACE HOOK AND' CLASP.

(Applic ation filed Sept/20, 1901.)

(No Model.) 1

, UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFIC HERBERT R \VILSON, OF FOOHEST ER, NEW YORK.

LACE HooK AND CLASP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 700,274, dated May 20, 1902.

Application filed September 20, 1901. Serial No. 75.884- (No model.) I

To all whom it majooncerm:

Be it known that I, HERBERT R. WILsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Lace Hook and Clasp," of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a lace-hook that may be raised or opened during the process of lacing and then folded down upon the lace after the lace has been properly placed, so as to hold the lace-securely and at the same time present no projecting'points when used upon a shoe, such as are likely to catch or engage the lower edges of ladies skirts.

My improved hook andclasp has other uses as well as on shoes. It may be used upon corsets or upon any articles which it is desired to secure by means of a lace where it is dev sirable that such lace shall be readily disengageable from the article.

The accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, are as follows:

Figure 1 is a top view of my hook and clasp with the lace-engaging portion opened or raised. Fig. 2 is a top View of my hook, but with the lace-engaging portion folded down. Fig. 3 is a side view of the parts seen in Figs.

1 and 2 so arrangedas to show the under side of the lace-engaging portion or cap. Fig. 4 is a side View of'the parts seen in'Figs. 1 and 2 and with the lace-engaging portion raised. Fig. 5 shows aportion ofa shoe with my lacing-hooks thereon and with the upper four of such hooks and clasps in their open or raised position. Fig. 6 shows aportion of a corset or other similar article with a series of such lacing hooks and clasps, a number of which to the right in the figure are seen in their open or raised position. Fig. 7 shows an enlarged sectional view of one of my lacing-hooks with the portion of the lace secured thereby, such sectional view also showing one form of spring f, by means of which the parts may be held in position.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, my hook 'and' end of this stem (tlS formed into an eyelet of substantiallythe usual form. By meansofthis.

eyelet the hook and clasp may be secured to the shoe or other article in the same-manner that eyelets are usually secured or in the way the ordi nary hooks are secured on gen tlemen s shoes. In case at any time the cappiece should become disengaged from the eyelet the eyelet may be used to perform its usual function. The stem at is so hinged to the cap-piece A that the parts when open or closed shall be caused to occupy and be securely held in substantially the position shown in the drawings by means of the springf, located within the cap-piece A. On the under surface of this cap-piece A is formed-a flange e, which is cut away over a short portion of the periphery v of the cap-piece A and just over the eyelet l). Thelace o is arranged to be located and held in the space between the cap-piece A and the eyelet b or the surface of, the shoe or article which is practically even therewith and also inthe opening left in this flange e, whereby when the cap-piece A-is forced downward to its closed position, as indicated in. Fig. 2, the lace is firmly held by the cap-piece A, the ends of the flange e, and the eyelet?) or surface of the article to which such eyelet is attached.

In lacing up any article upon which my -in such a way as to -come beneath the ends of the flange 6 and in the space between the ends of such flange and the body of the article to be laced. with ordinary hooks, such as found on gentlemens shoes. When the lace has been placed in position upon all the hooks, the cap-pieces .A are all turned down, so as to securely-hold the lace in the desired position If desired, I

one of such laces may be carried a second In this'way the lacing is done as time around one of the hooks'a't the end of the article, as indicated at the hook at the right-hand side ofthe top of the shoe in Fig. 5, serving to firmly hold the lace without tyin Attention is called to the fact that the stem and cap-piece take the place of the ordinary lacing-hook, and in addition thereto when the cap-piece is down the projections formed thereon, consisting in the ends of the flange on such cap-piece, serve to clamp the lace against the stem. In order to guard against the cap-piece being accidentally raised, it is preferred to use a flange which shall be continuous except at a point opposite the stern rather than to use projections on the cappiece.

Vhat I claim is 1. A lacing hook and clasp consisting of a cap-piece articulating with an eyelet, such eyelet and cap-piece connected together by means of a stern hinged to such cap-piece, and a spring operating to hold such cap-piece relatively to such stem either in its open or HERBERT R. WILSON.

\Vitnesses:

E. M. SMITH, D. E. EATON. 

